Govt responsible for violence: Congress on Dalit protests

NEW DELHI: The Congress on Monday held the central government responsible for the loss of life and damage to properties during violent protests by Dalit outfits against the alleged dilution of the SC/ST (Prevention of Atrocities) Act, and accused the Centre of taking the issue "lightly".

The Opposition party alleged that the Narendra Modi dispensation was not interested in the welfare of Dalits and weaker sections of society.

Senior Congress leaders Ghulam Nabi Azad and Mallikarjun Kharge also alleged that atrocities on Dalits and minorities have been on the rise ever since the NDA came to power in 2014.

Azad, the Leader of Opposition in Rajya Sabha, said that had the government taken adequate steps to ensure that the SC/ST Act was not weakened or diluted, today's nationwide bandh could have been avoided.

"I charge the central government, and not the Supreme Court, that this law was weakened and diluted because the central government did not represent the case properly before the court," Azad said.

If the attorney general or additional attorney general had

appeared before the court, the Supreme Court might not have taken the decision, he said.

The Supreme Court had on March 20 diluted certain provisions of the SC/ST Prevention of Atrocities Act, in a bid to protect 'honest' public servants discharging bona fide duties from being blackmailed with false cases under the Act.

The verdict is being widely criticised by the Dalits and the Opposition who claim that the dilution of the Act will lead to more discrimination and crimes against the backward community. Azad termed today's 'Bharat Bandh' as a success

against "the government's failure and weakness".

Both Azad and Kharge also regretted the loss of life and damage to properties during the bandh, saying the Congress never supports any violence.

"The central government is responsible for this loss in the country. If government had taken steps after March 20 when we gave them a memorandum to file a review petition, there would have been no loss of life and property in the country. I hold the central government responsible for the loss of life and property," Azad said. NEW DELHI: Union minister Ram Vilas Paswan on Monday hit out at Congress chief Rahul Gandhi, saying he had no moral right to attack the BJP over Dalit issues as his party did "nothing" for the community or its icon BR Ambedkar while the present government, he asserted, had done a lot.

With opposition parties targeting the BJP after a Supreme Court order on a law for atrocities against Dalits, he strongly defended the saffron party and praised the government for filing a review plea against the verdict within two weeks.

At a press conference, the Dalit leader and Lok Janshakti Party chief also dismissed speculation about his future move, saying he was in the Bjp-led NDA and would continue to strengthen it. He claimed that it would come back to power again after the Lok Sabha polls next year.

Senior RJD leader Raghuvansh Prasad Singh had recently claimed that Paswan was in touch with the opposition and he could leave the NDA.

"Nobody takes him seriously. Does he know about his future? Does he consider Tejashwi Yadav his leader?" Paswan said, lashing out at Singh.

Hitting out at the Congress over its attack on the central government on the Dalit issue, Paswan said it had done nothing for the community in its long rule and denied Ambedkar's portrait space in Parliament's central hall.

A portrait was put up only in 1989 when V P Singh was prime minister and while the Congress gave Bharat Ratna to many people, including actors, it did not deem it fit to give to Ambedkar, he claimed. He was given Bharat Ratna in 1990.

"Rahul Gandhi has no moral right to speak about the issues of Dalits. He should first answer why his party did this to Ambedkar... The Congress only abused him and encouraged others to abuse him," he alleged.

Praising the central government, he said it made the SC/ ST (Prevention of Atrocities) Act more stringent in 2016 and celebrated Ambedkar's contribution with a number of measures, including by holding a special debate in Parliament and developing places associated with him.

Amid reports of violence during 'Bharat Bandh' called by Dalit bodies, he said the apex court's order had caused anger in the community but added that it should not cause any division in the society.